Harry spent the entire day doing chores because a wealthy construction contractor and his wife were coming to the Dursleys for dinner. Uncle Vernon hoped the man would place a large order.
People's joys and sorrows are not connected, so when Harry saw Cohn leaving with Edward, carrying a suitcase, he only felt annoyed.
Cohn, however, didn't feel the same way. After sneaking Harry's birthday gift over the fence, he was finally able to start making some moves behind Edward and Rose's backs.
The meeting point was a park temporarily approved by the Ministry of Magic, enchanted with Muggle-Repelling Charms so the "Diricawl Travel Group" could gather their tour group here.
"This really is a proper tour group, huh?"
Cohn was surprised to see quite a few classmates here, such as the Patil twins from his year, Mandy Brocklehurst from Ravenclaw, Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff…
There were also a bunch of less familiar classmates, though Cohn never bothered to remember too many names.
"Any girls you like here?"
Edward whispered in Cohn's ear.
"I just turned twelve," Cohn reminded him stiffly. "Since when did you start matchmaking?"
"Dating and marriage are two different things. It's good to gain some experience early," Edward said confidently. "How do you think I managed to win over your mom?"
"Are you really saying that with pride?"
"Besides, dating without the intention of marriage is just playing around," Cohn refused. "I have my own plans…"
Dating? Edward might as well just tell him who had upset him, and Cohn would go murder their entire family…
The result would be the same anyway.
Cohn still hadn't found a way to suppress the liquid curse. In fact, aside from switching bodies, there might be no solution at all.
Cohn's current body was a mishmash of various dark creatures. While touching him wouldn't kill anyone, anything inside him wasn't something a normal person should come into contact with.
But Edward clearly misunderstood Cohn's meaning. He thought Cohn's "own plans" meant he was already dating someone—how impressive.
Edward didn't stay long. After paying the fee and getting Cohn registered, he drove off.
Before leaving, Edward handed Cohn a necklace, saying that if he encountered an urgent crisis, he should crush it. The Synchronization Charm inside was linked to a vase in their living room, so they'd know immediately if something happened to Cohn.
How nice. Is this what it feels like to be loved?
Cohn felt his Dementor soul warm up a little.
"Malfoy," Cohn called out to the pale classmate in the crowd, who shuddered when he heard his name.
Cohn guessed Lucius had probably briefed Draco on the situation to prevent him from offending Cohn and causing serious consequences.
But the warning might have been overdone. Draco was just a twelve-year-old kid. Hearing that his classmate was a Dementor who could consume happiness and souls—and that he had once had a falling out with this classmate…
Just showing up in front of Cohn already took a lot of courage.
"Ah—C-Cohn," Malfoy stammered, avoiding eye contact. "My dad said—the Portkey is a blue empty potion bottle…"
"You don't have to be so scared—I'm not a lunatic. I won't just randomly suck out someone's soul."
Cohn felt the need to explain, but it seemed to only make Malfoy more terrified.
Carrying his suitcase, Cohn followed Malfoy to a tent set up at the edge of the gathering area. It was empty, except for some piled-up flyers and an old wooden table in the corner.
Soon, a tall, thin middle-aged man walked in carrying a cloth bag.
"Is everyone here?" the man asked Malfoy. "Just him?"
"Yes," Malfoy nodded.
The man dumped the contents of the bag onto the table in the tent and pulled out a pocket watch to check the time.
"Ten minutes left. Make sure you're on time. I need to handle some things on the other side. Everything good here?"
After saying this, the man hurriedly left.
Malfoy was about to say something to lighten the mood when the man suddenly returned.
He looked suspiciously at Cohn and asked:
"You know this trip is to Malfoy Manor, right?"
Malfoy looked at Cohn in panic, trying to convey something with his eyes.
Most likely, the man had a sudden pang of conscience, thinking this might be some kind of human trafficking scheme—after all, the Malfoys spending so much money and effort just to get a young wizard to their manor was indeed suspicious.
"Yes, we agreed on it," Cohn replied.
Malfoy breathed a sigh of relief.
"I already told you, I've almost forgotten about you offending me before. Don't be so scared; it makes me look like a bad person," Cohn said earnestly. "Especially at school, don't let your fear ruin my positive image. You know how it feels when plans get disrupted, right?"
Malfoy nodded frantically.
Ten minutes later, Malfoy and Cohn reached out to touch the potion bottle right on time. A blue flash later, a swirling, twisting sensation enveloped Cohn, as if a hook had grabbed his navel and yanked him off his feet, sending him flying toward some unknown destination.
Moments later, he and Malfoy landed.
Cohn, familiar with the sensation of flying, landed steadily on his feet. Malfoy, less experienced, wobbled dizzily and nearly fell.
Cohn now stood at the entrance to Malfoy Manor.
It was a massive manor house, surrounded by meticulously designed gardens. A white marble fountain stood at the center of the path leading to the main entrance, and a few white peacocks roamed the lawns.
Compared to the ruined Borgin Manor, Malfoy Manor had a much more ancient and imposing feel.
Passing through the wrought-iron gates and the cobblestone path, a silent Malfoy led Cohn to the front door.
Lucius and Narcissa were already waiting at the entrance.
Malfoy scurried behind Narcissa like he was fleeing for his life. Lucius shot him a stern look, clearly meant for Cohn's benefit.
So much social maneuvering!
"Cohn, thank you for taking the time to visit Malfoy Manor. We've heard so much about you from Draco—please, come in," Lucius said graciously, inviting Cohn inside.
"Dobby! Prepare tea and snacks for our guest."
The final chapter is coming tonight, let's go!